HAZE OF TRUTH

Peter Wilby is to be commended for exposing the latest reefer madness
hype for the nonsense that it is (Inside track, 30 July). The
scientific literature on alcohol use disorder and schizophrenia is
vast, yet I don't hear anyone using it to make the case for
reclassification of alcohol. The "potent cannabis" myth is being
pushed by shameless culture warriors who have no understanding of how
cannabis is actually consumed. Strong cannabis requires significantly
less smoke inhalation than weak cannabis to achieve the desired
effect. It is actually less harmful.

Lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any
European country, yet the US is one of the few western nations to use
its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana
to a Martini. The land of the free now has the highest incarceration
rate in the world, in large part due to the war on drugs. Despite a
clear record of failure, America continues to use its superpower
status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe. The UK
should Just Say No to the American Inquisition.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, US